Dentist&#39;s illuminating lamp and projector



Dec. 10, 1940. w J HQLRQYD 2,224,225

DENTIST'S ILLUMINATING LAMP AND PROJECTOR Filed April 15, 1939 2Sheets-$heet 2 ,kV/L Ate/0 JAMES flozeom, 1N YEN T 01?,

Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DENTISTS ILLUMINATINGLAMP AND PROJECTOR 5 Claims.

5, the patients mouth. Unless the sun light is bright, such lighting isusually insufficient, and in many dental offices artificial lightingmust be employed. In modern practice of dentistry, it is usual to makeX-ray pictures of the patients teeth, and the showing in these picturesoperates as a guide to the dentist. These pictures, however, are quitesmall, and the indications are usually meaningless to the patient, andalso frequently present difiiculties to the dentist. In some cases it isdesirable for the patient and the dentist to examine these X-raypictures together.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide illuminatingequipment for a dental office, which will be of simple construction butwhich will alford means for illuminating the patients mouth, and whichcan also be used when desired, as projection apparatus to cast anenlarged image of the X-rays of the teeth on a screen.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this kind, with means forenabling it to be used at will for illuminating the dental offices,thereby enabling the lighting equipment for illuminating the patientsmouth, and for casting images on the screen, to be used also for thegeneral illumination of the dentists office or room.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby thepatients eyes may be shaded from the powerful beam of light that is castby the lighting equipment into the patients mouth.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combination of parts to bedescribed hereinafter,

all of which contribute to produce an efficient dentists illuminatinglamp and projector.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the followingspecification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating my apparatus and its relation tothe dentists chair and the patient, and also illustrating how theapparatus can be used for projecting images onto a screen in front of apatient or on a wall back of the patient.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through the casing and support forthe same upon an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken about on the line 33 of Fig. 2, andfurther illustrating details, of the mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken about on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, andfurther illustrating details of the invention. This view shows a portionof the support broken away;

Before proceeding to a more detailed description of the invention, itshould be stated that the equipment involves the use of a lamp casingand lamp, mounted in such a way that a condensed light beam can beprojected downwardly in an inclined direction into the patients mouth,to assist the dentist in his operations there. The equipment includes aguide for a slide carrying a picture, or pictures, of teeth; and inanother position of the casing, images from these pictures can be castupon a screen. The screen used may consist of a shade roller and shadeat the window in front of the dentists chair. This will enable the imageto be shown to the patient, and discussed with him by the dentist. Asthe distance from the lighting equipment to such a front screen would beshort, of course, the size of the image cast on the screen would besmall, though much more satisfactory for viewing than the slide or filmitself. If desired, a second screen at the back can be employed at agreater distance from the lighting equipment, upon which an enlargedimage can be cast. The lamp can be swung through 360 to enable its beamto be projected in any desired direction.

By providing an opaque slide or light stop that I can be slipped intothe slide guide, I am enabled to screen the patients eyes from thelight. In other words, a portion of a strong light beam that is castinto the patients mouth, can'be out off so that it does not produce aglare in the patients eyes.

The casing of the instrument is also preferably constructed with upperand lower openings closed by movable shutters, either or both of whichcan be opened. This enables the lamp within the casing to be employedfor casting its rays up on the ceiling for indirectly lighting thedentists office, and for casting a light toward the floor. In this way asingle lighting equipment can be employed for performing the function oflighting the patients mouth for operating therein, casting images ofpictures of the teeth on a screen for inspection, and also providing theillumination for the dentists oilice.

Referring more particularly to the parts, the equipment at presentincludes a support that may be in the form of a stanchion I that may berigidly secured to the floor if desired, or stepped in a sumcientlyheavy movable base. This stanchion preferably terminates above in asubstantially horizontally extending arm 2 upon which the lampconstruction is supported. Ihis support may be effected through themedium of a double clamp 3 presenting a base plate 4 (see Fig. 2) inwhich the lamp bracket 5 is secured through the medium of a pivot boltdo. It will be evident that the bracket 5 can be rotated on the axis ofthis bolt or pin 4a, which is substantially vertical. The lamp bracket 5preferably includes two arms 6 that extend laterally in an inclineddirection and downwardly from the head of the bracket. Between the endsof these arms a lamp casing 'l is supported on suitable pivot bolts 8.The casing 1 includes a substantially circular body 3 to which aradially projecting trunk it is attached, said trunk being preferablytapered as shown, and carrying the focusing lens box 5 i at its outerend. At the point 52 the large end of the trunk 59 is secured to itsseat til at the side of the body 9, and at this point a transverse slideguide or slot Hi is provided. This enables a slide l5 to be slid intoposition on the axis of the lens box [I and in line with the condensinglens box it back of which the lamp H or the equipment is located, saidlamp being preferably supported on a bracket plate 58, one end of whichis supported on one of the bolts 8 (see Fig. 2). Back of the lamp areflector I3 is provided adjustably secured on a transverse stem 23 thatis carried on a friction-tight arm 2i (see Fig. 3).

In Fig. l, I illustrate the equipment in full lines in the position tocast a condensed light beam 22 into the patients mouth. At this time, inorder to screen the patients eyes, I prefer to slip an opaque slide orlight stop 23 into the slide guide M. This screen will intercept anydesired amount of the beam so as to insure that a shadow will be cast atthe patients eyes.

By rotating the casing on the studs 8, it can be swung up so that theaxes of the lenses are substantially horizontal, and this will enablethe apparatus to be employed to cast an image of the film (inserted atil) of the teeth onto ascreen 24 in front of the patient. This screen mayconsist of an ordinary shade roller and shade such as used on Windows.As dentists chairs are usually quite near a window, the screen 2 will,of course, be quite close to the lamp equipment. For this reason ifdesired, a second screen 25 may be employed more remote from theequipment and "back'of the patient. In using this second screen 25, thelamp can be rotated around as indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 1,so as to enable the image of the slide to be projected onto the screen25, at the same time adjusting the focusing lens box ll so as to cast anenlarged image on this screen.

In order to enable the lighting equipment to be employed to light thedentists office by casting light beams onto the ceiling and floor ifdesired, the body 3 of the casing is provided above with an opening 25(see Fig. 2) and this opening can be closed at will by means of a curvedshutter 21 secured to a quadrant ZB near each end wall or head 23 of thecasing body. This shutter or light gate 2i can be moved to its open orclosed position by means of a small outwardl projecting handle 36 (seeFig. 2). When this shutter 2? is in its open position, it will beevident that a light beam is indicated by the dotted lines 3!, which canbe cast from the lamp ll up on the ceiling ofthe room or ofilce, therebyilluminating the room.

A similar light opening 32 may be formed in the under side of the body9, capable of being closed by a curved shutter 33 similar to the shutter21, and mounted in a similar manner on quadrants 34. These quadrants 34are preferably mounted friction-tight so that they will hold themselvesin any position in which they are left. For this purpose the inner faceof the heads 29 of the body 9 may be provided with studs 35 whichoperate as pivots for the quadrants, and one of these studs also mayoperate as a pivot for the arm 2! already referred to, which carries thereflector l9 (see Fig. 3).

A coil spring 36 is provided, that thrusts at its outer end against thequadrants l8 and 34 so as to press them frictionally against a cap disc38 that is held on the end of the stud 35 by a small screw 33.

A similar spring 49 is employed on the other side of the casing, asillustrated in Fig. 3, but on that side, of course, the spring thrustsdirectly against a cap disc 4| because there is no arm such as the arm Hfor supporting a reflector 19 on that side.

The fact that the lamp bracket 6 extends laterally from the pivot bolt4a is advantageous because it enables the distance of the casing fromthe patient and from the screens 24 and 25, to be regulated if desired;for example, by rotating the lamp bracket 5 on the pivot 4a to anopposite position from that shown in full lines in Fig. l, the positionof the supporting studs 8 for the casing, can be brought much nearer tothe patients mouth.

It will be evident that this equipment enables a patients mouth to bevery highly illuminated for operating therein, and also enables thepatients for the room by opening shutters 27 and 33 more or less.

Many other embodiments of this invention may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a dentists lighting apparatus, the combination of a casing, meansfor supporting the same for rotation on a substantially horizontal axisin a location above the patients chair, a lamp carried Within the same,projection lenses mounted in the casing on an axis extendingsubstantially radially from said lamp, a guide in said casing forreceiving a slide and located on the axis of said lenses, a screenlocated forward of the dental chair upon which an image of the slide maybe cast through the agency of said lenses, said casing having an openingon the upper side of its wall, a shutter in said opening movablysupported on the casing, held closed while the said image is cast on thescreen, and capable receiving a slide in projection position, a screenlocated forward of the dental chair upon which an image of the slide maybe east through the agency of said lenses, and a removable opaque lightstop in the form of a slide to be received in said guide to cast ashadow over the patients eyes when the said casing is rotated on saidhorizontal axis into a reversed position to cast a light beam into thepatients mouth.

3. In a dentists lighting apparatus, the combination of a casingcomprising a substantially circular body having a projecting trunkextending substantially radially from the axis of the body, lensesmounted in the casing on the axis of said trunk, for casting light intothe patients mouth, means for supporting said body for rotation on asubstantially horizontal axis, and enabling the same to be rotated onsaid horizontal axis into a reversed position in which the trunk extendsforwardly, a guide formed in the casing to receive a slide to enable animage in the slide to be projected upon a screen, said body having anopening in the upper side thereof, a lamp within the body to cooperatewith the lenses for projecting the image from the slide onto the screen,and a movable curved shutter mounted on the casing for rotationsubstantially on the axis of the body and operating in its open positionto permit light from the lamp to be cast upon the ceiling for lightingthe dentists room, and cooperating with the casing in its closedposition to shut off light and darken the room while the image is thrownon the screen.

4.. In a dentists lighting apparatus, the combination of a casingcomprising a substantially circular body having a projecting trunkextending substantially radially from the axis of the body, lensesmounted in the casing on the axis of said trunk, means for supportingsaid body for rotation on a substantially horizontal axis, a guideformed in the casing extending transversely to the axis of the lenses toreceive a slide to enable an image in the slide to be projected upon ascreen, said circular body having an opening in the upper side thereof,a lamp within the body to cooperate with the lenses for projecting theimage from the slide onto the screen, and a movable curved shutter insaid opening mounted for rotation substantially on the axis of the bodycooperating with the casing in its closed position to darken the roomwhile the image is on the screen, and operating in its open position topermit light from the lamp to be cast upon the ceiling for lighting thedentists room, said casing also having an opening in the under sidethereof with a shutter adapted to be closed when the image is on thescreen, and movably mounted on the said body, said last-named openingoper ating in its open position, to permit light to be cast down fromthe lamp toward the floor for lighting the same.

5. In a dentists lighting apparatus, the combination of a lamp support,a bracket arm for supporting a lamp structure pivotally connected withsaid support to enable the bracket arm to swing on a substantiallyvertical axis, said bracket arm extending laterally from the saidvertical axis of rotation, a lamp casing pivotally supported on thebracket arm to rotate on a substantially horizontal axis, said lampcasing having a substantially circular body and a projecting trunkextending substantially radially therefrom, projection lenses in saidtrunk and a lamp carried in said casing in axial alignment, a guide fora slide extending across the axis on which said lenses are disposed andadapted to receive a slide for projecting an image therefrom onto ascreen, the body of said casing having an opening on the upper sidethereof, and a movable shutter for closing said opening when the imageis on the screen to darken the room and operating in its open positionto permit the said lamp to illuminate the ceiling, said casing beingcapable of rotation on its pivotal support on the bracket into areversed position, for assuming a position in which said trunk isinclined downwardly to project an illuminating beam into the patientsmouth.

WILFRID JAMES HOLROYD.

